A method of producing metallic tantalum comprises the steps of providing a precursor comprising a tantalate of a first metal, arranging the precursor material in contact with a molten salt in an electrolytic cell, the electrolysis cell further comprising an anode and a cathode arranged in contact with the molten salt, and applying a potential between the anode and the cathode such that the precursor material is reduced to tantalum. The first metal is an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. The anode does not comprise a carbon material, which prevents contamination of the tantalum and improves current efficiency of the process.

Systems and methods for feeding solid material and a gas into a container (e.g., electrolytic cell) are generally described. Certain methods comprise feeding solid material and a gas into an electrolytic cell through an inlet; wherein: the gas comprises an inert gas; and the inlet is positioned, relative to an anode of the electrolytic cell, within a distance that is less than or equal to 5 times the shortest cross-sectional dimension of the anode. Certain systems comprise a container configured for molten salt electrolysis; a passageway configured for feeding solid material and a gas into the container; an anode; a cathode; and an outlet configured for releasing a gas from the container; wherein an inlet from the passageway to the container is positioned, relative to the anode, within a distance that is less than or equal to 5 times the shortest cross-sectional dimension of the anode.

Disclosed is an electrochemical method for high-temperature molten salt electrolysis in humid atmosphere. The method involves preparing hydrogen gas, metals/alloys, metal oxide compounds and metal hydrides in humid high-temperature molten salt environment. Hydrogen gas is generated by electrolyzing water in a molten salt electrolyte at above 100 C., and with a working cathode being a solid-state oxide pellet and a voltage applied to the electrolyzing cell being far lower than that in a direct electro-deoxidation process, the hydrogen gas generated reduces solid-state oxide cathodes to produce metals. The hydrogen ions in the molten salt can be prepared by hydrolysis reaction of the molten salt in a water vapor containing atmosphere. Corresponding metals or alloys or metal oxide compounds can be prepared by reducing iron oxide, molybdenum oxide, tantalum oxide, nickel oxide, copper oxide, titanium oxide or corresponding compound oxides and the like.

The present disclosure relates to a method for preparing titanium by using electrowinning and, more specifically, to a method for preparing titanium by using electrowinning, comprising the steps of: preparing a mixture by mixing a solid electrolyte, which contains an oxide of a Group 1 element and boron oxide, with titanium dioxide; and forming a molten oxide from the mixture by putting the mixture in an electrowinning apparatus comprising an anode and an insoluble cathode and heating the same, and then forming titanium on the cathode by applying voltage to the anode and the cathode.

A method is provided for the production of titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy products directly from a variety of titanium and vanadium bearing ores that reduces the processing steps significantly as compared to current TiAlV alloy production methods.

A method is provided for the production of titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy products directly from a variety of titanium and vanadium bearing ores that reduces the processing steps significantly as compared to current TiAlV alloy production methods.

A system for extracting oxygen from powdered metal oxides, the system comprising a container comprising an electrolyte in the form of meltable or molten salt, at least one cathode, at least one anode, a power supply, and a conducting structure, wherein the cathode is shaped as a receptacle having a porous shell, which has an upper opening, the cathode being arranged in the electrolyte with the opening protruding over the electrolyte, wherein the conducting structure comprises a plurality of conducting elements and gaps between the conducting elements, wherein the power supply is connectable to the at least one cathode and the at least one anode to selectively apply an electric potential across the cathode and the anode, wherein the conducting structure is insertable into the cathode, such that the conducting elements reach into an inner space of the cathode, wherein the conducting structure is electrically connectable to the cathode, and wherein the system is adapted for reducing at least one respective metallic species of at least one metal oxide of feedstock inside the shell of the cathode with inserted conducting structure by applying the electric potential, wherein the potential is greater than the dissociation potential of the at least one metal oxide.

A method of making a graphene-containing material comprising the steps of: electrolytically reducing a transition metal oxide to a transition metal in an electrolytic cell using a molten salt electrolyte and a carbon anode; followed by extracting a dry graphene material from the electrolytic cell. Also provided is a graphene-containing material obtainable by the method of the invention.

The invention provides an in situ method for protecting material exposed to molten salt, the method having the steps of supplying metal in a first nonreactive state to the molten salt to create a mixture; measuring a redox state of the mixture; and transforming the metal to a second reactive state when the redox state indicates corrosion of the material is about to occur. Also provided is a system for preventing corrosion of structural alloys in molten salt environments, the system having a vessel defining a void containing the molten salt; a voltammetry sensor inserted into the molten salt; a first cathode inserted into the molten salt; and a first anode inserted into the molten salt, whereby the cathode and anode are in electrical communication with an electrical power source.

The present disclosure provides an electrochemical method for the separation of zirconium and hafnium, using an electrolytic cell equipped with an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, wherein the anode chamber and the cathode chamber are separated by a liquid alloy. In particular, the liquid alloy comprises a crude zirconium and a matrix metal with the metal activity lower than zirconium. After the electrolysis reaction is started, since the metal activity series in the liquid alloy is: hafnium>zirconium>>matrix metal, the hafnium in the liquid alloy is oxidized prior to the zirconium, the hafnium in ionic form migrates into the cathode electrolyte in the cathode chamber, leading to a continuous decrease of hafnium content in the liquid alloy, whereas the zirconium remains in the liquid alloy. Accordingly, deep separation of zirconium from hafnium is achieved, and therefore, nuclear-grade zirconium products can be prepared.